Cable connecter



. v 1 1644312 Get 4,1927 'G.C.THOMAS,YJR

CABLE CONNECTER Filed Feb. 25, 1927 INVENTOR I GeargCT/Mmus, h

Patented Oct. 4, 1927.

u f uren STATES PATENT GEORGECrTI-IOMAS,"'JRI; or *nnrzennrm nnvr JERSEY, I'ASSIGNOR "TO THE THQMASAL' BETTSICQ, or EIiIZABE'lI-L;;NEW JERSEY, A "CORPORATIONOF. NEW-JERSEY;

CABLE 'CONNECTERL Applicationfiled-February 25', 1927 Serial No. 170,982.

This; invention --rela-tes gtoj-t improved cable con-necters-to'fasten cableuto electric fixture ancl-outl'et,boXes-.'

An object zofl theinvention is to produceglenoperating IILESQHSySUCh asjascrew, tunes; tions to anchor the connecter in the box'hole and: =also;,secureia cableuthereiny and more particularly lsuaepnrpose-to dispose the "operatingpmeans inside the box:

A.lfllll3l1$1" objectof the, invention andhan:

important feature thereof is to .producea cable connecter 1n the; fornrot a sleeve 1ncluding', anti-extensionwhich projects ,lroni i. theasleevethrough the box hole, the; sleeveinc-ludingi nie'ans and being so fo'rniedpasto exposeiaportionsof thelbox hole edge d1- rectlyfito a cable placed-therein; there being arrangedtliat-the action or =pressure of the screw operating ineans does not tend to dislodgeor move th-ec'a'ble on "or away from theexposed box- =hole edge-' againstwvhich it I I -side-end:elevation ot-Fi gure 7. 7

gripped by the cable clamp operating means; p

It is: also anobjectto produce a connector provided with van adapter element by which the connector is-adapted to-universally take varioussizesot'cable, large or small cable'i 'The adapt-er includes a cable clam-p plate with a unitary-shutter,both of Which are actuated by the, operating means; to clamp a cable-'ofany size 'Within'rangie of the con necterand box hole land 'close the'shutter' "acrossthe sleeve or, box'hoie ad acent the Cable received 'tliereinto; the connector meniher which carries the adapter being distinguished by making'it in sleeve farm With a cut-away end to expose therbox holeedge.

l Vith the above and-othen lfi in View the intention has relation to an example of a on the I o'ute'rsleeve end and 1 overhangs tlie construction and an embodiment of the in vention as shown in the accompanying drawelevation, inner end, and outer end, respectively, of a connector member adaptedto mount the screw operating ineans inside. a cox; the connecte'r member be ng of sleeve form cut away at one end when used With ing'a cable thereingfand Figure 8'i Figure 1 isa cluster view showing a side" n adapter element and Figur 2 il j tudinal section of theconnecteri-shown in Figure 1 c i r r gll l fils (l-cluster View ofthe adapterishowing its progressive stages fofmanufaee;

finished adapter member which fineludes. an clan p..pl ate,- a sleeve orbox llolewfillll lltehg and nieans to retain the: adapter: movabjly inr the sleeve against rotation;- This},a-dapteriisafii usedwith the Figure-wl cu-teaway end sleeV connecton to :convert or adaptithje SlfiQW IO];

sinallysize; cable,- 7 Q I r Figure 4 18:11 longitudinal; sectional; View a plan-view th reof; H The adapt-er. is'aseeine bled with --the connecter.

F gure 6 shows-the;- connecter; inf,its Sim-r 1 plcst "'[Ol'l'fl WltllOlLtnthBi adapter, thepscrewp;

gi Side 'thei box-wand; pointedY'itojv's'a izcls"i7 the exposed box holewedgerzportion; ThiS'dS' :c a box-assembly wiewwith th'e connector -am;

chored ing thel box hole gripping; a arable? ga n he-exposed boX-holemedgew Figure 7 is also boxassembly viewioflthe connecter' employing theadapter, the-con; neoter being anchored in; a: .box' and"secui'.-s

srarroutev Electric-fixture or. outlet boxes B areiwordinarily provided with:knockmut openings V or holes'H to recei.ve the cable: G and ajcabl' i:

connecter t fasten the cable. :in :fhQZ-BQX a-nd i to pass: the wires W-e into the ebox-z in thee usual 5 Way and make electric; connect-ion in the box with other circuifi'wires' inside the box; p 7

' Referringfurther -to' theidrawings for a description L of exaniplesof the: invention} there is 'shown a connectermemben-whi'chf' 9 'may' be madein" the formof a sleeve w hushed-atone end as at 11. Thebushed end- 11 of the-sleeve constitutes its inner end aga i-nst whichthe en'dof the cable' G restsandthrough which the -wiles WW are passed inside 'the box B. An -"eX-t'ension -12 is made istic'a lly makesi the connect-ermember'm I slightly long'ejn at one side than" the other;

In other Words, the sleeveiscut'a-vvay at on'e 166 ture from theflflat} sheet metal blank tok-ithje of the completeconnector;i and: Figu;r,e -;5 AS11 end to form the transverse abutment edge 13 and overhanging extension 12 which provides means to expose a portion of the box hole edge to a cable and to conceal the other portion of the box hole edge. Thus the sleeve extension 12 projects through the box hole and conceals one part of the box hole edge but the abutment end 13 exposes the remaining part of the box hole edge directly to a cable C received therein.

The sleeve carries with it anchorage means in the nature of box hole edge abutments spaced apart to fix the connecter against longitudinal displacement once it is mounted in position and the operating means or screw is tightened up. The example of anchorage means employed comprises an inside box abutment ear or ears 16, the abutting face of which is in peripheral alignment with the "sleeve end edge 13. In other words the sleeve end edge 13 and ear 16 face and engage against the inside of the box wall. The sleeve extension 12 carries an abutment ear or ears 17 which are spaced from the car 16 and sleeve edge 13 a distance about equal to the thickness of the box wall B so as to receive the boxhole edge down in between the ears 16 and 17. In this way the abutment ears 16 and 17 prevent displacement of the connecter from the box hole by overlapping the box wall at the concealed part of the box hole edge. The sleeve extension 12 also provides a raised box hole edge bearing face 19 which is defined between the spaced ears 16 and 17 and this bearing face 19 is adapt ed to seat or bear against the box hole edge H I and thereby conceal a part of the hole edge and 17 in overlapping relation whenthe connecter is in the box. 1

The bearing face 19 is positively seated against the edge of the box hole by reaction of the screw operating means when the parts including a box and cable are assembled as will be described, and that reaction also positively seats the spaced abutment ears 16 against the inside and outside surfaces of the box wall. The bearing face 19 is so arranged or raised that the sleeve ,10 is disposed eccentric to the box hole II, that is to say the exposed portion of the box hole I-I extends or circles in an eccentric manner into the sleeve 10 proximate its edge 13. Since the exposed portion of the box hole edge extends eccentrically into the sleeve, it follows that the cable C rests directly against the box hole edge and is there gripped, pinched and securely clamped by the connecteroperating clamp means.

The sleeve 10 is placed inside the box and its extension 12 projects through the box hole to establish anchorage with the box wall by thev abutment ear means already described. The connecter is therefore shaped and formed with its cut-away end 12-13 so that the sleeve portion 12 may be too large to go through the box hole but the extension 12 the screw 20 causes it to point directly to wards the exposed part of the box hole edge when the connecter is mounted in position in the box.

The screw 20 is placed proximate or close to the sleeve extension and is tilted slightly so that the screw end is close to or nearly in the plane of the box wall so as to grip the cable straight toward and against the ex: posed box hole edge portion. This arrangement prevents the pressure of the screw from pushing the cable G back out through the box hole, and this is an-important feature along with the fact that these improvements enable me to place the screw inside thebox in this type of connecter which is anadvantage because the connecter can be used for both old and new housewiring work. Fig-, ure 6 illustrates the application of the connecter just described and shows how the re- 7 actionof the screw 20 against the cable (l positively forces the bearing face 19 against.

the concealed box hole edge and holds the anchorage ears or abutments in place to anwhich small cable may be anchored to the 1 box and secured in standard size box holes without at the same tlme leaving an opening into the box adjacent the cable. The adapter. is useful with a connecter of this type'having. its screw inside the box because the adapter includes a clamp plate interposed its seated anchorage against the exposed box hole edge. H

In describlng the adapting cable connecter as an improved form of the invention.

reference is made to Figures 8, 4, 5. 7 and f clamp plate 22 carrying a sleeve and box hole closing shutter plate 22 at one end and another shutter plate or guide and retainer 8. The adapter comprises a cable'bearing v member 2 1 at the other end. The adapter is substantially U-shaped and is mounted in the sleeve 10 for free lateral motion there in. The shutter or retainer end 2 1 isrpro 115 between the screw and cable which prevents 9 the screw from dislocating the. cable from' vided with a groove to fit the contour 'of the bushing 'end 11 of t'heslee've which permits theclan'ip "plate 22 to move outwardly away-from the center of the sleeve 10 to its maximum position 'as'in' Figure l to admit alarge cable." ln one'of'the shutter plates -23 oi-2a tlrere is pressed ajrib 26 which slides iiia radial groove made in the connecter member" lO or' sleeve'extension 12. The co operating' guide rib and groove means 2'6-27 permits free lateral motion of the adapter 22*28 within 'thesleeve but prevents relativerotation between theslecve l0 and adapter. The guide means -2 27 therefore retains the'clamp plate 22 in line with the end of the screw'2O and the two end plates 23 "and "24: also prevent the adapter from longitu dinal displacement clan'ipplate 22 determinesthe lateral travel 7 of the adapter in the sleeve and consequently the tra=vel-of the shutterp'late or plates to close the sleeve or box hole.

The closing shutter plate 23 is preferably a close fit to the box hole but is fractionally smaller so it may be introduced through the box hole from "the inside of the box.

' To place the connecter in the box hole, the

shutter '28 is dropped to its innermost or;

closed position and thereafter it is opened up to receive a cable. The clamp plate 22 is arched or curved in cross section to conform to the general shape of cable received into the sleeve. It follows therefore that the curved clamp plate 22 and opposite internal wall of the sleeve cooperate to provide a variable size. cable passage through the sleeve, the passage being substantially round and similar to or like a cable.

The means for obtaining the variable and adjustable size cable passage through the sleeve connector described in the foregoing paragraph also affords the same characteristics for the bushing at the inner end 11 of the sleeve connector, because I provide in effect a variable size bushing 1125 as will be explained. While the bushing 11 protects the wires N from being worn or cut by the jagged or sharp cable end when the large size or round cable C is used, it does not protect the Wire insulation coming from small size cable F C since the useof the latter lcavesexposed about half of theragged armored edge since the bushingll is in reality much too large to effectively accommodate itself to and cover over the full periphery of ragged end or edge of a small armored cable. My invention however pro- ,vides against this difliculty in its capacity adjusted full distance 2 reduce the cable pastoadaptitsbus'hing 1l '25 to suit various size cable as 'eifectivelyas it varies the size ofits cablej'passage.

' The improved variable or adju's'tablesize bushing includesthe movable external rib in the "clamp plate 22 as defined by "the groove 25 together with the stationary-rib formlng the bushing 11. In other words the groove 25, which-enablestheclamp plate to lie proximate the sleeve wall, also-presents its external rib shape in radial alignment with the bushing 11 and the two members "11 and 25 become avariable size bushing 11--25 to positively abut and close against the inner ragged cable edge,asshown m F1gure7,

to protect the wire insulation entirely around its surface no matter which "way or direction the Wires WV 'are pulled or bentin the box B. The adjustment of the clamp plateand'shutter to suit a given cablesimuL taneously adjusts the bushing 1l+25 to suit the same cable, and thi'sis' an important "fea'- ture of my invention. v v

The small size upturned shiitteror guide plate 24 mayprefcrably bereduced in width as compared to the clamp plate 22so that the upturned end. 245 may pass through the hushed inner end 1 1 of the sleeve and include the groove 25 which registerswith and conforms to the bushing. However, I may prefer to make the clamp plate 22 and guide or retainer end 24 in various forms or widths since it is primarily the shutter end 23 which closes the sleeve and box hole.

Figures 7 and 8 show the application of the adapter connecter of the exposed box hole edge type to a box B and it is seen how a small size cable, for example flat or ovalshaped cable F0 is anchored in the box hole against the exposed hole edge by the clamp plate 22 forced against the cable by the screw 20. At the same time the screw 20 actuates and closes the shutter 23 over that portion of the open sleeve or box hole which is not closed by the small size cable. The shutter 23 is not in the way for large size cable, but satisfactorily closes off that sleeve opening and box hole'portion which is not;

occupied by the cable and connecter and thus thebox is sealed against entry of dirt, plaster or other foreign matter prevalent .in building ope-rations. g

It is therefore seen that I have produced,

in either form of the invention, a cable conQ screw end and the exposed box edge.

the box hole anchorage means to outer ears 17 to anchor the connecter in the substantially opposite the exposed box hole edge portion and the screw-shank is pointed toward the cable to grip it between ipple e reaction of this screw and/or cable clamp means 20 therefore performs several functions, namely, that of renderin effective fix the connecter member in the box hole, that of gripping the cable against the exposed box hole edge, and that of closing the shutter, and that of reducing the bushing 11-25 to the size of the cable at hand.

In a cable connecter of this exposed box hole edge type, no extra screw attachments or screw connections are required to be made into or through a box. In other words, only one screw is used to secure a cable in the box hole against the box edge and to anchor the connecter in the box hole, and that single screw is carried on the connecter which is an important feature and makes for convenience in the use of the connecter and enables it to be used with standard boxes.

IVhat I claim is: e

A connecter comprising a sleeve suitable in size to fit into a box hole and including means and being so formed as to directly expose a portion of the box hole edge to a.

cable therein received, spaced abutments included on the connecter between which a box hole edge is received to anchor the connecter in the box, a stationary bushing carried with the sleeve at its inner end; a

cable clamp plate and means to guide it laterally within the sleeve, a movable bushing rib and groove formed in the clamp plate at one end thereof in radial alignment with and to cooperate with the first bushing- In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

GEORGE O. THOMAS, JR. 

